Clam-shell excavating-machine.



C. E. BATHRlCK. CLAM SHELL EXCAVATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, I911.

Patentd Dec. 7, 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET I.

V6 2 a z. g a a Mcafiaea C. E. BATHRICK. CLAM SHELL EXCAVATING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 25.'19H.

vPatelrited Deal 7, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 c. E. BAT HRICK. CLAM SHELL EXCAVATING MACHINE.

APPLICATIUN FILED MAY 25.19M- 1,162,740 Patented Dec. 7, 1915,

4 SHEETS+SHEET 3.

W (mam/m WM. W544,

c. E. BATHRICK. CLAM SHELL EXCAVATING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY25,I9I1.

1 152 74. Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4- v ,ED STATES BA cirAnLEs E. BATHBIQK, or CHICAGO: ILLINoIs, AssIeNon T rnnnnmcx c. AUSTIN, or cmcaeo, ILLINOIS.

CLAIM-SHELL ExCAVATING-MACHINE. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Kay 25, 1911. Serial No. 629,358.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. CHARLES E. BATH- RICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clam-Shell Excavating- )Iachines, (Case 3,) of which the following is a specification. v

My invention relates to excavating .machines of the clam shell type and has for its object the provision of an excavating machine embodying various features of improvement over those heretofore constructed.

- The variousfeatures of novelty which characterize my invention will become apparent from a detailed description of the accompanying drawings, in which'.- f

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the-excavating machine embodying my invention; Fig.

2 is a view in side elevation of the vertical stem or mast which supports the clam shell bucket. the latter being shown in closed poreferred to.

sition; Fig. 3 is a front view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is atop plan view of Fig. 3, the bucket being for the sake .of clearness'omitted; Fig. .5 is a cross-seclocking device to be hereinafter specifically The locking device is supporta guide member C attached to the.

ed upo elevate upper end of the boom D which is supported for movement in any. desired direction, so that it can be operated during the progress of the work for any desired Durpose. The sections 1 and 1- of the clam shell scoop or bucket A are opened by acord or cable E and closed by a chain or'cable F. The latter is also employed for'raising the mast B independentlylof the guide C so as to bodily raise the clam shell bucket after the'latter has been suitably filled and closed. The bucket sections 1 and 1 are pivotally connected to the lower end of the mast B and arranged so that they can swing apart sufliciently to dump the. load, as shown 1n full lines in Fig. 5. The sections are also Batented Dec. 3,1915.

adapted to swing together for excavating or scraping up the soil. and to close as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 so as to fprm a bucket or receptacle to retain the load until the sec- The cord or cable E is at its lower the guide member C, and extends from'said sheave to any suitable operating means.

' As illustrated in the drawings the mast or beam B is hollow, being formed by ob: long plates or bars suitably connected together, as best illustrated in Fig. 4. The

bars or plates .4 and l are secured to the channel bars 5 and 5 so as to form a hollow beam substantially rectangular in cross-section. W'ith this construction of bucket-carrying mast a suitable lengthv of the bar or plate 4 .is removed, 'as illustrated in Fig. 5, to permit the sheave G for the chain F to project within the hollow beam, and thereby allow the chain which is subject to 7 the greatest tensional strain to extend longitudinally and centrally within the hollow beam.

This arrangement also permits the branch portions 3 of the chain F' to emerge from the lower open end of the hollow beam B for connection with the fastening devices 34' on' the bucket'sections. After the branch portions 3 emerge from the lower end of the hollow. beam or mast, they first pass under the sheaves H and H respectively, thence under the sheaves H and H respectively,

' and thence to the attaching devices 34, which are secured to the upper ends of the bucket sections, substantiall at' the center thereof, as best shown in Fig. 3. The sheaves under which the branches 3 of the chain F thus pass are all supported by the mast B. y

The guide member C is constructed with rigidly connected side portions 6 and 6 at opposite sides of the mast B. at one side of the mist the guide member C'lS provided with a suitable bearing for the sheave I upon which the bucket closing cord or cable E is trained. To the rear of the mast the two airsof antidrictionfrollers At the opposite side of the'masflB the guide mem- "her is provided with suitable bearings for two pairs of anti-friction rollers 8. The

' of said side portions, as best shown inFig'.

v 4. .Theoute'r end portion of the booni is divided or fo'rked so as to straddle thegulde member C. In the particulararrangement shdwn by-w'ayof illustration in thejdrawbers 9 to which arepivoted 'the side portions 6 and 6 of the guide member C.

" As a means for temporarily'locking the mast B to the guide member C on the boom D the mastis provided-n one side with a longitu- 'dinally extending rack or line of teeth 10.

The guide member 0 is provided with a-pin-' ion 12 having its hub portion 13 (see Fig. 5 fixed upon the transverse rotary axle 14 arranged to revolve in bearings 15 on the side portions 6 and 6.- One end of the axle 14 projects considerably beyond the side' portion 6 and is provided with a friction brake-band wheel 16. fixed thereon.

I This band wheel 16 can be locked andreleased in alternation by a 'brake device consisting of a brake-band 17 having one end attached to a horizontal rod 18 which provides a pivotal support for the brake lever 19. The opposite end of the brake-band 17 is attached ported. The rod or pivot 18 is supported by a bracket 21- which. is in turn'f'secured 11113011 a sleeve" 22 upon theshaft oraxle-14. 4'5

' in place by theside portion 6*;0ffthe' guide,

member 0, asbest shown-in Fig. 3;} -To op j erate the brake lever 19' a rod, or "prefer ably a cord or.cable 23, is attached-(goalie free end of the brake lever and extends back.therefrom-to -the trucker. carriage R wherebythe pendant portion of the cable to a stud 20 arranged on the'leve'r 19 at a point between theband wheel 16 andjthepivot. 18 on which the brake leverpis' sup- The rod .18 is further supported and jli el'd which is understood to be provided with'any,

suitable means for operating the bucket ao l -tuating cables. By pulling on. the. cable '23" 55 ,to ti hten the brake-band upon 'th elbrake whee 16, whereby tliepinion 12 5s locked against rotation. This'locks the mast B to the guide member C. The relea'se-of-the the lever 19 is caused to swing in a direction brake cord or cable 23 "slackens :the brakeband 17 on the brake wheel 16 soasto per-- mit the latter to turn, and thereby unlock the pinion 12. This permits 'the mast. B to be raised or'lowered independently of the boom D, It should be observed that when outer corners of'the bucket sections. bucket section is .also provided with a pair of arms or side extensions 28 and 29 which the .ibucket sections 1 and 1 to swing gether from the position indicated"in full the mast B is thus raised or lowered the pinion -12 and brake wheel 16 'are free to turn as a pairof idlers secured upon a' common spindle.

The j branches 2 in whichthe cord or cable E terminates extend between a pair of sheaves 25 which are mounted as idlers leys 25 and have their lower terminals fas-,

'tened to attachments 27 secured to the upper Each extend upwardly from the bucket when the I sections are closed. These arms are con- "ingslthe boom cons sts of two parallel mem nected to the upper inner portions a of the bucket sections and extend therefrom to the transverse pivot pin '26, carried by the bucket-carrying mast B. The lower end'of the mast B 'is' fitted and secured into the socket casting 30. The socket casting 30 is provided with web portions31 and 32 arranged in vertical planes at right angles to each other. More particularly described, the casting 30 is provided at each oftwo bases with two bearing portions 33 for the pivot pin 26. At each of the other two sides the socket 30' is provided with a pair of, spaced web. portions 31, thereby providing space for thechain branches3 and for the "sheaves H, H H and H, the axles for these sheaves being supported. by the web portions 31.

cable extends from'said sheave I rearwardly L to which 'is'attached an operating cord,

I wirebr cable M. When the cable M is drawn rearwardly .so as to exert a" suitable pull on the sheave block L, the sheave K is drawn laterally away from the mast B,

E-is drawn upto open the bucket sections 1 and 1. The mast B can be locked in any adiusted position by thejlocking device previously described. In order to permit lines in Fig. 5, the cable M is allowed to j-slacken or pay-out from the winding device N' (see Fig. 1) to which it is attached. In ".order to force the bucket sections together so as, to close against the resistance opposed to their cutting or scooping action inexca- 'vating, the bucket closing cable F is wound:

opposite sides with a lateral web portion' 32, and these two web portions unite at their One portion of the bucket-opening cable .E drops from-the sheave I on the guide member C, while the other portion of the the guide member C by releasing the cable 23 and allowing the same to slacken. This upon a suitable winding devicePywhereby the cable is drawn upwardly through the hollow mast B so as to cause the branch portions 3 to pull upon the bucket sections and swing the .same into closed position about the axis 26, asindicated in dotted lines vin Fig.5. By this operationthe bucket is filled with the excavating material whichis retained within the closed bucket. In order to bodily raise the closed bucket to any desired extent, the mast B is unlocked from automatically slackens the brake-band 17 on the brake wheel 16. Then, by continuing to, wind up the cable F, the mast B and slackened and allowed to descend. Conse- .-cable M to pay-out therefrom, it being derstood that the winding devices N and P quently, the winding device N permitsthe are reversible and subject to the control of an attendant, whereby they can be operated in accordance with requirements. Afterthe bucket has thus been brought over the dump or spill-pile, the beam B can, if desired, be

unlocked and lowered by paying out the i-hain or cable F from the winding device and paying out the cable M from the winding device N. By next winding up the cable M, the cable E is drawn up-within the hollow mast B so as to open the bucketse'ctions and therebydischarge the load. During this discharge action the soil is wiped or scraped from the bucket sections by the scraper Qpreferablyattached to the lower portion'of'the web 31. The arms '9 of thescraper Q, are arranged to project within the bucket sections, so that when the latter are swung apart the soil is forced opt by the scraper arms. -Where thesoil is sticky this feature is of importance. The bucket sections and the rigid arms 28 and 29 form le- .vers to which the chain branches 3 are attached' between the pivot of those. arms and the connecting edges of the bucket sections which encounter the resistance.

It will be seen that the axes of the sheaves H? and H are in a horizontal plane below the horizontal plane of the pivot bolt 26,'and

' that the said axes are onvopposite sides of a vertical plane passing through the axis of the pin-26. Bythis arrangement the bucketclosmg power is effectively ap lied and-by providing sheaves H and H" or the chain branches '3 the upward draft of the chain F p is substantially a direct up-draft from such sheaves when the bucket is closed and the mast B elevated. The'sheaves H and H,

H? and "H are all practically attached to swinging frame 37.

the mast B, since the socket casting 30 is substantially a part of the mast. In closing the bucket sections for the purpose of excavating, the weight of the mast holds or assists "in holding the bucket sections down to their work.

. While I- do not confine myself to any one form of construction of boom or crane device, I have illustrated as one construction the boom D hinged by a horizontal shaft 36 to a laterally swinging upright bar 37 which.

is in turn-hinged to the upright frame portion 38 of the truck or carriage B. This truck serves as a support for a suitable engine or'motor S which operates the wlndmg thesheave 44 on the frame 38 and thence to the winding device P. The frame 37 to which the boom vD is attached is provided at its upper portion with bearings 45. These bearings support a pair of shafts 46 each of which carries a pair of flanged wheels or rollers 47 arranged to steady thesinovablq bar 48 which has the rear end portion thereofsupported on the frame 37 and the other end portion pivoted to the boom D near the.

upper end portion ofthe latter. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6. the bearings or check plates 45 are secured to opposite sides of the frame 37. As a means for longitudinally moving the bar 48, thelatter is provided on its under side with a rack 49wvhich is arranged to be engaged by a pinion 50 on the frame 37. The shaft 51 to which the pinion 50 is secured is at one end provided with a worm-wheel 52 fixedly mounted thereon. The worm-wheel is adapted to be operated by the worm 53 driven in an s lituble way. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in the drawings. the worm 53 is vary "the angle of the boomD. When desired, the boom and supporting frame 37 can be swung laterally as a whole, so as to swing the mast B and the bucket A from the point of excavation to thepoint of dis-1 charge.

-in lowering the bucket and that when the" I From the foregoing detailed description ofone embodiment of my invention, it will be seen that the weight of the mast B assists latter is closed, as in the process of excavation, the closure is eflected bythe direct up-,

ward pull of chain or cable .F against the weight of the bucket and mast. As soon as flthe bucket has been thus closed the attend once .unlock the mast from its connection with the boom D and thereby permit the action. of the chain F to continue so as to ant at a conveniently'remote distance can at draw'the mast and bucket. up to a suitable height; It will also be apparent, that the bucket isopened by an upward pull on the a cable E, during which action the bucketcarrying mast B can be locked to the boom D. The cables F and M extend fromv sheaves on the guide members C downwardly to their respective winding L drums,

wherebytheuse of gear devices as a means for generating the opening and closing power in the near vicinity of the. bucket itself is eflectually avoided. It will also be seen thatithe -depth to'which the bucket is allowed to descend can be readily controlled by the brake device.

erned by'the winding devicefl? for the chain F which is "used both for closing the bucket and for hoisting the same. Broadly considered, the bucket opening cable may be regarded as consisting of the cablepo'rtion M (which is operated by the reversible winding device N) and the cable portion E;

As a matter of further improvement the cable portion E passes about the sheave K of the independently movable sheave block L and has its upper end attached to the upper portion of the mast B at a point above the guide connection between the mastand the boom D, so that when the sheave block L is drawn rearwardly by the cable portion M, away from'the bucket carrying mast, the lower section of the cable E pulls upwardly,

while' its upper terminal section draws downwardly on the mast B. It will also be seen that the bucket sections have levers fulcrumed at their innerends to swing about the axis of the pin 26. The cable branches 2 and the chain or cable branches 3, are tied to said levers near the free ends thereof. It will be clear that when the bucket sections are open, as shown in Fig. 5, the closing action of. the chain or cable F causes the branch portions 3 to exert a downward pull on the bucket sections. ..While I have thus described "and illustrated one particular embodiment 'of'imy invention, I would have itunderstood that 1- do not wish to be limited to-the exact conv struction illustrated, but-{that on the contrary changes aiid. .i n ifications may be madewithout departing thef scop e of the invention asv defined" ji-nIthfe: appended claims; f v j.

Having thus described my invention what ters Patent of the United States is:

1.. In a clam-shell excavating machine, the

combination of a boom, a vertically mov- 'able hollow mast suspended fromthe'outer endv of said boom, a clam-shell excavating bucket having its sections pivotally con-' nected to the lower end of said mast, a flexible actuating member for closing the bucket sections and raising the mast having two branches each fastened to the upper rim of one of the two bucket sections, said flexible member passing longitudinally through said hollow mast, and aflexible actuating member also having two branches each fastimed to the upper rim of one of the two bucket sections for opening the bucket sections.

2. In a clam-shell excavating machine,-the combination of a vertically movable'hollow mast, a casting secured to the lower end of said mast, a pairof spaced web portions extending from opposite sides of said casting, a plurality of sheaves ournaledbetwe'en said web portions, a second pair of -oppo-u sitely extendingweb' portions arranged on said casting at right angles. to saidv firstmentioned web portions, a clam-shell bucket having its sections pivotally connected to said second pair of web portions, a flexible actuating member connected to said sections and passing below said sheaves upwardly through the hollow mast for closing thebucket'sections and raising the mast, and means for opening the bucket sections.

3'. In a clam-shell excavating machine, the combinationof a vertically movable mast, a

casting secured to the lower end of said mast, a pair of oppositely extending web portions on said. casting, pivot pins carried by saidweb portions, a clam-shell bucket having. itssections journaled on said pins, means for closing the bucket sections, a pair of sheaves journaled on the opposite sides.

of the mast, and a flexible actuating member connected to said sections and passingbelow said sheaves upwardly for opening the bucket sections.

4. In a clam-shell excavating machine, the combination of a vertically movable hollow mast, a casting secured to the lower end of sa-id mast, a pair of spaced web portions extendmg from opposite sides of said casting, a plurality of sheaves journaled between said web portions, a second" pair of foppositely extending web portions arrangedon. said casting at right angles to said first-men tioned web portions, a clam-shell bucket I claim as new and desire to secure by Letand passing below said sheawes upwardly through the hollow mast for closing the.v

bucket sections andraising the mast, a pair a of sheaves journaled on the mast above the said casting, and aflexible actuating member connected to said sections and passing below said sheaves upwardly for opening the bucket sections.

5. In a clam-shell excavating machine, the combination of a hollow mast built of bars rigidly connectedtogether, a boom for sup- :porting's'aid' mast, a casting rigidly securedto the lower end of saidma'st, a two part clam-shell bucket having its sections pivotally' connected to said casting, and flexible means attached to the upper rim of each of the two bucket sections for operating said bucket sections.

6. In a clam-shell excavating machine, the combination of a boom, a guide member pivoted tothe outer end of said boom and including a pair of spaced plates, a sheave and a plurality of rollers journaled between said plates, a hollow mast passing through said guide member between said rollers, 21 clam-shell bucket having its sections pivoted to the lower end of said mast, a flexible member connected at its lower end to the bucket sections for closing the same and raising the mast, said member passing upbucket sections and at its upper end to the upper portion of said mast, said second -'flexible member engaging said pair of rollers, a movableblock provided with a sheave over which said cable is trained, and means for drawing said block away from said mast toopen the bucket sections.

7. In a clam-shell excavating machine, the combination of a boom, a guide member pivoted to the outer end of said boom and including a pair of spaced plates, at sheave journaled between said plates, a hollow mast passing through said guide member, a clamshell bucket having its sections pivoted to the lower end of said mast, a flexible member connected at its lower end to the bucket sections for closing the same and raising the mast, said member passing upwardly through the hollow mast over said sheave, a pair of rollers mounted on the outside of one of. said plates, a second flexible member connected at its lower end to the bucket sections and at its upper end to the upper portion of said mast, said second flexible member engaging said pair of rollers, a movable block provided with a sheave over which said second flexible member is trained, and means for drawing said block away from said mast to open the bucket sect-ions.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 23d day of December,"A. D. 1910.

CHARLES E. BATHRICK.

Witnesses:

GEO. MANKLE, A. A. THOMAS.

MSV 

